We recently said farewell to another phenomenal outreach team serving here at Beautiful Gate. This one came to us from Ontario Christian High School in Ontario, California, USA. This team was unique among most of the teams we receive to BG because it was composed mostly of adult men. Several fathers of students at OC accompanied their sons and daughters on this outreach trip. Just by being who they were, the men on this team provided the children of BG with a gift they do not often have: father figures. It was such a blessing to see some of these men step out of their comfort zones and get down on the kids’ level, showing them in a very real way the love of their Father in Heaven.
As with most teams we accommodate, the OC team helped with daily chores and childcare in the baby houses. They came alongside housemothers who work day in and day out, learning their routines and gaining a deep appreciation for just how hard these women work. They participated in our playgroup, caring for both infants and older children. In addition to work with the kids, the team also helped us accomplish a few projects around campus. They helped us build a paved walking path in our pre-school area, as well as putting up a new fence around a portion of the pre-school itself. They also helped us take down an unused building on our campus.
What was so amazing about this team, however, was how they embraced and cared for our greater community in Lesotho, and not just Beautiful Gate where they were serving specifically. They played soccer with inmates at our local correctional facility. One of the members preached at a local church on Sunday morning. Probably most significantly, though, after visiting another child care facility in a more rural village of Lesotho that has recently lost the bulk of its financial funding, the men on this team made a decision to actively help keep this care center on its feet. In addition to providing a significant financial donation to the center so that they can purchase food for the children, they also began making plans for regular fundraising when they return to the US. It was so overwhelmingly beautiful to see the Body of Christ see a need and take immediate steps to fill it. They truly were and are bringers of hope.
Thank you so much for your service and sacrifice, Ontario Christian Team! We are so grateful for how you blessed Beautiful Gate and Lesotho at large. We look forward to continuing this relationship and seeing you all here in Lesotho again soon! Molimo a le hlohonolofatse!
